The plane landed just after dawn, golden light spilling across the tarmac like a quiet promise. Lin Yuyan stepped off the jet beside Zhao Luchen, her hand lightly tucked into his.
Neither spoke as flashes from waiting paparazzi lit up the exit. He shielded her with his coat, not hiding her—but protecting her.
The silence between them wasn't awkward. It was heavy with everything unsaid.
By the time they reached the car, headlines had already begun to spread.
#ZhaoLuchenAirportEscort
#LinYuyanReturns
#TogetherOrTemporary
Yuyan sighed, leaning against the window. "We've fed them again."
"They'll always be hungry," Luchen said simply. "But this time, they'll choke on the truth."
**
Their first public stop was Zhao Corporation's main tower. A sleek glass building that glittered with power—and judgment.
Inside the boardroom, murmurs quieted as they walked in together.
Yuyan felt it instantly. That prickle at the back of her neck.
Eyes watched her too closely. Some with curiosity, some with calculation.
One seat at the table remained empty.
Unclaimed.
She stared at it a second too long.
"Lin Yuyan will be supporting the brand's outreach initiative," Luchen announced, crisp and confident. "She has my full backing."
An executive cleared his throat. "Is this... wise, CEO Zhao? Given the personal implications?"
Luchen didn't blink. "What's unwise is underestimating her."
Yuyan's throat tightened.
He wasn't saving her.
He was choosing her.
Still, when they stepped into the elevator afterward, she whispered, "They don't like me."
He glanced sideways. "They don't have to. I do."
**
That night, the launch event at the high-end art gallery was a glittering affair of curated elegance and ruthless gossip. Glass sculptures, floating canapés, and whispers dressed in couture.
Yuyan wore crimson silk, bold against the winter palette, her lips painted to match. The neckline dipped dangerously. Not demure. Not apologetic.
She was claiming space.
When Luchen walked toward her in black-on-black tailoring, the room paused.
He offered his hand.
She took it.
Together, they walked the red carpet beneath the suspended glass chandeliers. Reporters buzzed, flashes flickering.
"CEO Zhao! Are you and Miss Lin confirming your relationship tonight?"
Luchen looked straight into the camera.
"We're not confirming anything. We're living it."
The crowd gasped.
But behind the noise, somewhere in the shifting silhouettes, Yuyan paused.
A man in a charcoal coat stood near the far exit.
Still.
Watching.
By the time she looked again, he was gone.
She turned back to Luchen, but a flicker of cold stayed in her spine.
**
Later, needing air, she slipped onto the rooftop garden. Snow had just begun to fall.
The wind whispered something she couldn't quite catch.
A voice? A memory?
Her fingers curled tighter around her clutch.
Then her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number:
> You looked beautiful tonight.
Like someone who forgot who she used to cry for.
Her breath caught.
No name. No signature.
But she knew.
She deleted the message, lips pressed in a thin line.
Then, without hesitation, she called Luchen.
"Come up."
He arrived minutes later, eyes searching her face.
"You alright?"
She didn't answer. Just stepped into his arms.
His coat wrapped around her.
"I keep thinking I see ghosts," she murmured.
He didn't flinch. "Then we'll face them together."
**
Back in the limo, her phone vibrated again. This time, she didn't look.
She turned it off and rested her head on his shoulder.
The city passed by outside, lights blurring like tears she didn't shed.
**